stranger

1 of 3

noun

strang·​er ˈstrān-jər 

1

: one who is strange: such as

a(1)

: foreigner

… ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

—Numbers 9:14 (King James Version)

(2)

: a foreign-born resident

b

: one in the house of another as a guest, visitor, or intruder

c

: a person or thing that is unknown or with whom one is unacquainted

told the children not to talk to strangers

He is a complete/perfect/total stranger to me.

d

informal : an acquaintance who has been long absent : an acquaintance who has not been seen for a longer period than usual

Well, hello, stranger! I haven't seen you in ages.

e

: one who does not belong to or is kept from the activities of a group

f

: one not privy or party to an act, contract, or title : one that interferes without right

2

a

: someone who is in a new and unfamiliar place

Can you help me? I'm a stranger here.

b

: one ignorant of or unacquainted with someone or something

He is a stranger to losing.

—often used in negative statements

She is no stranger to controversy. [=she has been involved in controversy before]

stranger

2 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a stranger : foreign

stranger

3 of 3

verb

strangered; strangering; strangers

transitive verb

obsolete

: estrange, alienate

Synonyms of stranger

Noun

• foreigner
• alien

Examples of stranger in a Sentence

Noun

Children are taught not to talk to strangers.

He is a complete stranger to me.

“Excuse me. Do you know where the library is?” “I'm sorry. I'm a stranger here myself.”

I'm a stranger to the area.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The former instantly adds a second layer of security against unwanted guests, and the latter emits an ultra-loud alarm while acting like a door stop wedge, scaring off any stranger who tries to enter your room. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025

Heather Demers tried the popular good luck McDonald’s French fries hack—which is meant to improve IVF success rates, though with no scientific backing—and was stunned when over 300 family members, friends and even strangers joined in to show their support. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

Adjective

As more details of the crime emerged, the story only got stranger. —Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Everything else to do with that tournament is stranger. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

Verb

Bashan and 25 other people, all initially strangers with different backgrounds and professions, spent time in 12 different countries and grew to be friends. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 23 July 2025

People have been trained to seek validation from therapists, social media followers, even strangers online. —Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English straunger, straungier "foreigner, alien, unfamiliar person, outsider," borrowed from Anglo-French estranger, estraunger "outsider, foreigner, unfamiliar person" (as adjective) "not related by blood, foreign" (also continental Middle French estrangier), from estrange "foreign, strange entry 1" + -er, -ier -er entry 2

Adjective

from attributive use of stranger entry 1

Verb

derivative of stranger entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing stranger

• no stranger to

Rhymes for stranger

• changer
• danger
• manger
• ranger
• arranger
• endanger
• exchanger

Kids Definition

stranger

noun

strang·​er

ˈstrān-jər

1

: one who is strange

2

a

: foreigner

b

: guest sense 1, visitor

c

: a person with whom or a thing with which one is unacquainted

Legal Definition

stranger

noun

strang·​er

: someone who is not a party or in privity with a party (as to a contract or legal action)

may be enforced against a stranger to the contract